


a lion with no teeth

by Solv



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: I Don't Even Know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 02:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19368106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solv/pseuds/Solv
Summary: Stormpaw lives his darkest hour and mostly survives.





	a lion with no teeth

**Author's Note:**

> I had the feeling that everything I was writing was stupid and boy I was no having it so I did this. No beta and English is not my first language.   
> It's been years since I read this.  
> Some minor changes I think.

Stonefur smelled of herbs and flowers. Stormpaw recalled of that as his mentor gently awakened him and in the quietness of dawn the apprentice thought that it wasn’t like that before.

“Come on. We need to sort the patrols for today and then I’m taking you to swim”

Stormpaw forgot to protest the moment he heard about swimming. He loved the water as much as he loved training with his mentor, and Stonefur knew that. Stormpaw thought he saw him smile. The young apprentice yawned and glance at Featherpaw, still sound asleep, gave a quick lick at his gray pelt and got out the den.

His mentor was already at the center of the camp, organizing the patrols. The air was cold and vibrant. Stormpaw shivered and walked toward him, listening carefully. Stonefur was, as everybody said a good deputy and a promising leader or so they said before ThunderClan’s leader died and they knew everything. However the apprentice could not help to like the warrior, the mentor, better.

After it was finished Stormpaw had the time to get himself something to eat from the fresh-kill pile. He was barely eaten when he heard someone talking to Stonefur.

“Tigerstar wants to see you before you go”

Stonefur gave Blackfoot a serious and not very impressed look.

“Just Tigerstar?”

“Leopardstar too. Something about the apprentices”

The RiverClan deputy nodded and flicked with his tail to Stormpaw to follow him. The apprentice glanced one last time at the white Shadowclan tom before going after his mentor.

It was always like that since Tigerstar came with Blackfoot and some other warriors and, standing beside Leopardstar, announced that they were now one clan. TigerClan. Stormpaw remember the shock shaking him, the shared look with Featherpaw, the whispers in the clan, Mistyfoot’s air of unease; Stonefur at the base of the rock, serious, powerless, uncomfortable and trying to conceal everything. Since then, Shadowclan warriors came to camp and stared everything they did, everyone and Tigerstar called Stonefur to see him. Sometimes they were alone, Leopardstar and Blackfoot were there too. When they were alone Stonefur came back to camp silent, head low, slow steps toward the river. He smelled even more of herbs.

Stormpaw was getting worried.

Luckily that morning Leopardstar was there and it was nothing too serious. Tigerstar give them a cold smile and asked about him and Featherpaw.

“I would like to asses them one of this days. To see they learn their place”

“They learn” Stonefur assured “Both of them are shaping into fine warriors. But we can assess them, if you want” added, looking at Leopardstar. She nodded. Tigerstar stared at Stonefur but said nothing.

They finally left camp. With a move of his ears Stormpaw thought that Tigerstar didn’t seem very happy about it. His amber gaze found Stonefur’s blue one and his smile. He forgot about Tigerstar moments after.

 

Everyone said that Featherpaw looked like their mother. Crookedstar had repeated it when they were kits in the nursery, and Stonefur, and Mistyfoot, Featherpaw’s mentor. The spitting image of Silverstream, the same energy. There were still differences. Stormpaw couldn’t find in his sister any arrogance, nor stubbornness. Featherpaw was gentle, soft, enthusiastic and always willing to learn and help. She was the fastest swimmer in RiverClan and Stormpaw loved her more than anything.

Sometimes their mentors left them some time off out of camp after training and Featherpaw looked at her reflection on the river while Stormfur looked at the other side, at the ThunderClan border. However, these days the apprentice found himself glancing where their mentors sunned themselves and spoked quietly.

“I wonder if Crookedstar would like this” Featherpaw said nothing but Stormpaw saw her glancing at him “It… doesn’t feel right”

“It doesn’t… but maybe the idea is not that bad. I mean” Stormpaw looked at her “if we were all on the same clan Graystripe would be here. Maybe even Silverstream and we would still have Stonefur and Mistyfoot” the idea was like a stone sinking in the water. Featherpaw moved her head “Maybe is not that bad”.

Featherpaw pronounced that words the same way she would have said that they should have faith in StarClan and Stormpaw wished he could believe her. They sky was getting red in the horizon as sunset came and the river was like burning. Stormpaw looked at their mentors. The littermates had stood up and, with a pang of worry, Stormpaw thought that even though the fish was abundant in the river they looked thin. Specially Stonefur.

“I’m not sure, Featherpaw” he muttered.

I’m worried. He didn’t said it, he didn’t need to. Featherpaw follow his look and move her soft silver tail. When he looked at her he got the feeling that she wasn’t as sure as she would have wanted.

 

Normally Stormpaw didn’t have troubles at sleeping at night. Stonefur was a hard mentor and the feathers in his nests were comfortable enough. However that night Stormpaw found himself tossing in the most, tangled in bad dreams he couldn’t escape of. There was darkness and a white shadow and amber eyes observing him and Stonefur. He needed to find Stonefur. The young apprentice awoke, amber eyes wide open and heart beating in his chest, and stood. Not Mudfur, not Featherpaw or Mistyfoot. Stonefur.

He found him at the riverside, near the camp and still far enough from the pile of bones, whites like a nightmare, far from the amber eyes and the shadow lurking in the darkness. His mentor was looking the water, his blue gray soaked fur glimmering in the moonlight. It smelled of herbs. Lavender and maybe thyme. Stormpaw padded towards him and only stops when he saw him shake for a moment.

Stonefur never shaked.

“You should be sleeping, Stormpaw”

“You too” Stormpaw replied in a lower tone.

Stonefur didn’t say anything, didn’t even looked at him at the beginning. The apprentice sat beside him. His mentor’s blue eyes were fixed on the river. Stormpaw wondered if, like him, Stonefur was gazing the other side, ThunderClan side.

“Have you ever wished you could stay there? with your family?” Graystripe had left and they took him back. There was no TigerClan on that side, no ShadowClan cats observing. It didn’t smelled of herbs.

“My family is here. I’m a RiverClan cat, no matter where I came from. Just like you”

“I know, however…” Stormpaw didn’t continue “I wish things were different”

Stonefur voice came after a moment of silence, soft.

“We can try to change them but there are times that nothing can be done. Just like a flood” Stormpaw thought for a moment that he sounded sad as the faint smile he gave the apprentice “I tried to teach you how to fight and to win but I don’t think I have taught you how to lose”

Stormpaw frowned. It didn’t seem like he referred to the battles and races with Featherpaw. It sounded more like Crookedstar losing all his lives, Graystripe going back to ThunderClan but he could understand that. It wasn’t really losing.

“I don’t lose”

Stonefur looked at him and said nothing. It seemed to Stormpaw that his mentor was smaller, frailer, thinner. The apprentice has grown, but not that much. He got a bit closer so his dark gray fur brushed his mentor’s. Even after swimming, Stonefur smelled of lavender and thyme and some other think he couldn’t get to identify. Something familiar, yet scary. Like the amber eyes and the pile bones. Stormpaw flinched and opened his eyes.

During a second he thought about that reunions with Tigerstar, all the times outside the camp with him, Mistyfoot and Featherpaw escaping for a moment the ShadowClan cats, all the times his mentor just couldn’t bring himself to eat.

The apprentice said nothing, nor had the time to do it. Moments after that, two shadows ran to them. In the moonlight Stormpaw could see they were Mistyfoot and Featherpaw. His sister brushed his side, still a bit nervous.

“I woke up and you were gone and I know there’s nothing to worry about but…”

“I know. I’m not going anywhere”

He was sure of that. Featherpaw didn’t answer but she didn’t go. Stonefur and Mistyfoot talked in whispers for a moment. Stormpaw heard Mistyfoot sigh.

“Oh, Stonefur…”

They all went back to camp in silence. There was no one awake. That night they slept together, cuddled up with one another. It was Featherpaw’s idea.

“Why don’t we sleep together? Since Dawnflower was made a warrior we have the apprentice’s den to ourselves” had said the young she cat.

It really was. Stonefur and Mistyfoot didn’t want to wake up anyone and Stormpaw didn’t want to let his mentor out of his sight. And they were kin in a way, that was what Mistyfoot said once.

They slept together since that moment.

 

Stormpaw always saw himself like a RiverClan cat. Always liked the sound of the river and felt like he couldn’t be anywhere. Even if he looked at ThunderClan’s side of the border. Even after some of the warriors dragged him to a dark hole along with his sister and their mentors. Even after that. Stormpaw looked at Featherpaw and he knew that she was as confused as him, that she didn’t understand.

“Why?” she muttered “just because we are HalfClan?”

Stormpaw couldn’t answer at the moment. Mistyfoot and Stonefur said nothing.

There was no time in there. No food. Just different shades of darkness and sometimes calming words from their mentors. It will be fine, had said Mistyfoot. They will get us out of here. Stormpaw found hard to believe her until they did.

They light was almost painful in his eyes as he followed out Featherpaw and Stonefur, only the three of them and that should have a warning. Tigerstar awaited them on the top of the pile of bones. Leopardstar was there too, and Blackfoot, and more cats that Stormpaw didn’t get to recognize. Featherpaw glanced nervously at her back, looking for her mentor, her father, someone. Beside her, Stormpaw looked at Stonefur. Then Tigerstar spoke.

Stormpaw always felt that he was a RiverClan cat. Even after Tigerstar ordered Stonefur to kill them to show his loyalty. Featherpaw shaked. To Stormpaw it was like being under the water, like when he trained with Stonefur. The moves were slow, the words got lost in the air. Stonefur looked a Leopardstar.

“I take orders from you. You must know this is wrong. What do you want me to do?”

“Do as Tigerstar tells you”

Stormpaw flinched. Stonefur looked at them, at him silent. Featherpaw shaked. The gray apprentice didn’t blame her. His own paws were shaking when he spoke.

"We'll fight him. I won't let him kill us.”

He wouldn’t. Featherpaw couldn’t fight Stonefur, just like Stormpaw wouldn’t be able to fight Mistyfoot and he knew that. Stonefur too. The apprentice looked at his mentor and a moment later read the apology in his blue eyes. Stormpaw’s heart skipped a beat.

I’m sorry, Stormpaw.

No.

_No_.

“You'll have to kill me first, Tigerstar!”

“No!” Stormpaw heard Featherpaw holding her breath “Stonefur, no! Don’t do this!”

There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even scream, just watch. Blood. A moment of hope. A white shadow and moons of agony. Stormpaw’s voice broke. And it was over.

Stormpaw could only hear the river and Featherpaw’s quiet sobs. Nobody spoke, not even Tigerstar but Stormpaw felt his amber eyes staring and them. Stormpaw didn’t looked at him and ran toward his mentor. The fur was still warm when Stormpaw buried his face in his side.

When ThunderClan came to save them, Stormpaw’s nuzzle and fur were still stained with blood.

Stormpaw’s innocence disappeared in the scent of herbs a river. His faith died the moment Stonefur’s body touched the sand.

 

It seemed like Graystripe would never leave them alone, fussing over them like they were kits in the nursery, until Cinderpelt told him to go. Featherpaw didn’t say a word. Stormpaw couldn’t talk to them, to none. They had come too late to save Stonefur, too late for anything. Cinderpelt looked at him and asked about the blood.

“It’s not mine. It’s…” he couldn’t continue.

Cinderpelt give him some thyme. Stormpaw had to vomit.

That first night in ThunderClan, with Mistyfoot curled around them in the medicine cat's den, Stormpaw couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know who he was angrier at. At Graystripe for leaving and then coming too late. At Firestar. At Tigerstar and Blackfoot. At himself. He didn’t even know if he was angry. Mistyfoot’s blue eyes, so blue, so similar to Stonefur’s, shone as she looked at him. There was nothing to be said. Mistyfoot sighed.

“You should try to sleep, Stormpaw”

Neither of them could.

The next day Firestar apprenticed him to Whitestorm. The ThunderClan deputy, white a bright like a StarClan warrior, touched his nose to Stormfur’s but none chant the apprentice ’s name. Stormpaw was too numb, too tired to care.

“I’m not Stonefur” Whitestorm told him after the ceremony “I will never be him, I won’t try to… but I’l try to help you while you stay here”

He wasn’t Stonefur but he was still a very good mentor. Whitestorm was kind, patience when Stormpaw struggled with a ThunderClan move or climbing. He smiled more. The first day Featherpaw and Mistyfoot came see the territory with them and ever since Stormpaw found the two warriors talking or sharing tongues sometimes.

Whitestorm never made him talk about Stonefur or the nightmares. It was fine for Stormpaw. Not good, not enough. It was fine until one day they were sparring with Ashpaw and Bramblepaw. Featherpaw did brilliantly. Stormpaw looked at Bramblepaw, so big already, so like Tigerstar and he couldn’t move. For a moment he couldn’t even breath.

Mistyfoot and Whitestorm took him to the medicine’s cat den but only his new mentor was there when Cinderpelt let him out.

“She is still training with Featherpaw” Whitestorm explained gently “We will see them both later… are you feeling better, little one?”

Stormpaw nodded. Whitestorm took him near the river. Stormpaw knew before he told him where were they going. When they arrived the water was glimmering under the sun. Stormpaw closed his eyes. He could nearly smell the bones and the blood.

“Sometimes” he mumbled to himself “if feels like it will never go away”

“It never will” Whitestorm’s voice came softly and nearly absent “It’s part of you now and it will never stop hurting, Stormpaw but you will learn to move on. Just like a river.”

Like a river. Stormpaw shook his head.

“I don’t know”.

Whitestorm didn’t press him.

 

Stormpaw seemed calm when the met TigerClan, but he was shaking in the inside. So nervous. So afraid. Whitestorm gave him a comforting look and Featherpaw rubbed against him. Stormpaw barely felt it and barely heard Bramblepaw screaming at Tigerstar. He could only see the bones, the blood, the river, Stonefur. Tigerstar. And then Tigerstar was dead and Stormpaw returned to reality when he saw the shock in Whitestorm’s amber eyes. Leave or fight. They had three days.

 

Stonefur told him once, more than once, that he wasn’t his father. He wasn’t a mistake. He was what he chose to be. The path he chose to follow, the river he chose to swim in. The battles he chose to fight.

Stormpaw had been willing to fight Tigerstar to save his mentor, to fight Stonefur to save Featherpaw. As ThunderClan prepared to war, Stormfur wonder if he could fight BloodClan for the forest, for the right to have a home. Had he ever had a home? RiverClan was water and blood and bones these days.

Blood and bones.

More than once Stormpaw had wondered why did Stonefur died for them when there was nothing to be done. He thought he found one reason the they before the battle, when he saw Featherpaw playing with Whitestorm’s kits.

Blood and bones.

Leave or fight.

Stormpaw was blood and bones. A HalfClan cat and a RiverClan cat. A legacy and a promise of a future. His battles and his defeats. He chose his own path and he chose to fight for the future.

 

They survived. At the beginning it was difficult for Stormpaw to say that they won. His paws trembled, his gray fur was stained with blood and tears.

The battle was hard but it was going fine. Stormpaw fought beside Featherpaw and Mistyfoot and Whitestorm and it seemed like they had a chance until Stormpaw saw the white warrior fall. During a moment Stormpaw couldn’t move. He froze.

“No”

“Whitestorm!”

Firestar rushed to them but it was too late. Stormpaw knew damm well that it was too late. And Whitestorm too. The tears were burning in Stormpaw’s cheek when he saw the injures, the red blood while the deputy spoke to ThunderClan leader and then, finally, to him.

“…Stormpaw. I’m so sorry, little one”

“It’s not your fault… it’s not!”

The tears were burning like blood, like anger. Stormpaw rised his head and found him. The cat that had killed Whitestorm. Like a white shadow.

Stormpaw lung for him before knowing it and the others apprentices went after him. Featherpaw, Ashpaw, Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw. They fought.

They survived.

 

They could go home.

 

His first apprentice ceremony was on sunny day, with the river running and singing and nerves and pride bursting in his chest. His second apprentice ceremony was in ThunderClan camp and he was almost too numb to care. His third apprentice ceremony was on a sunny day, with the river running and singing, with so many reminiscences of the first one that it hurt. Stonefur had stood there, the pile bones there. There.

Leopardstar apprenticed him to Shadepelt. Stonefur’s first apprentice.

“I hope I can teach you everything I learnt from him” she said, smiling.

I just hope you don’t die, thought Stormpaw.

He really did.

 

“…by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Featherpaw from this moment you will be known as Featherbreeze. StarClan honors your speed and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.”

The pile of bones were long broken. There was no blood in camp. Leopardstar gazed at Stormpaw and the apprentice didn’t looked away.

“I had thought of another name” the leader had said the day before “are you sure about this?”

“I am”

He didn’t want any other name. In the silence, the pause seemed to last moons. Leopardstar spoke again.

“Stormpaw from this moment you will be called Stormfur. StarClan honors your courage and wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan”

Featherbreeze and Stormfur. Their names resonated over the river. Stormfur looked at his littermate and them at Mistyfoot and Shadepelt and hoped, really hoped that Stonefur saw him. That he was proud of him.

Stormfur was a legacy and a promise of a better future.


End file.
